For immediate release: May 31, 2017
CONTACT:
Rebecca Bailey, Publicity Coordinator/Writer
Hopkins Center for the Arts, Dartmouth College
603.646.3991
Free concerts and films this summeron Wednesdays at the Hop
[Pronunciation note: Corey Ledet:“luh-DAY”; Septeto Santaguero: sep-TET-oh santa-GWAY-oh”; Rocky Dawuni: “da-WOO-nee”.]
HANOVER, NH—The Hopkins Center for the Arts presents a series of free, all-ages music performances and family-friendlyfilms this summer for its third year ofFree For All. Since 2015, Free For Allhas been part of the Hop’sCommunity Venture Initiative (CVI)to increase the Upper Valley community’s engagement and access to Hop programming.In two years, approximately 7,700 community members have participated in concerts, films, dance classes and workshops through this initiative.
This year, Free For All events will take place on Wednesdays, concurrent with the popular Hanover Area Farmer’s Market. In July and August,three Wednesday evenings will feature concerts on the Dartmouth Green (the rain location is Spaulding Auditorium); and two Wednesdays will feature family-friendly films on the big screen in Spaulding Auditorium of the Hopkins Center for the Arts.
The concerts are by renowned zydeco, Cubanson and guarancha,and reggae bands, and the films are family classics.
July 5, 2017, 5:30 pm: Fresh from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Grammy-nominated Corey Ledet & His Zydeco Band’s covers and originals promise a rockin’ zydeco set. From the Texas/Louisiana zydeco heartland, his infusion of Creole roots, pop, funk and jazz makes dancing a must.
July 19, 6:30 pm: Back to the Future (film): Strap into the DeLorean with Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) and
Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) for Robert Zemeckis’s unrivaledtime-traveling adventure, with 1.21 gigawatts worth of specialeffects and a rocking soundtrack. US, 1985, 116m
July 26, 2017, 5:30 pm: Direct from Cuba, Latin Grammy-winning Septeto Santiaguero revives that nation’s lithe, rhapsodic ‘40s and ‘50s dance music. Soaring vocals, a horn line and intoxicating percussion make the band’s son and guarancha music happy, hot and irresistible.
August 9, 2017, 5:30 pm: Ghana-born musician and activist Rocky Dawuni’s upbeat reggae anthems move feet and unite generations and cultures. From the FIFA World Cup to SXSW, his humanitarian advocacy is matched only by his electrifying performances.
August 16, 6:30 pm: Bedknobs and Broomsticks (film): In this beloved classic musical, an apprentice witch (AngelaLansbury), three kids and a cynical conman (David Tomlinson)search for a magic spell, critical to defending Britain from the Nazis.
D: Robert Stevenson, US, 1971, 117m
About the artists
Corey Ledetkeeps one foot firmly in the tradition while exploring surrounding influences in order to create the best of multiple worlds. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Corey Ledet spent his summers with family in the small town of Parks,LA.At age 10, Ledetbegan playing drums for Houston-based band Wilbert Thibodeaux and the Zydeco Rascals and began learning the accordion, becoming fluent of numerous types of accordions, including single-note, triple-note and piano key accordions.
Ledet counts among his influences not only the zydeco greats but also artists in jazz (Hugh Masekela, George Benson), rock (Aerosmith, Guns & Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers), funk(James Brown, Maceo Parker, Prince), blues (Stevie Ray Vaughn, Howlin' Wolf, B.B.King, John Lee Hooker),country (Brooks & Dunn, Jason Aldean), reggae (Bob Marley, J Boog) and pop (Michael Jackson, Sam Smith, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake). He founded his own band in 2003 and in 2004 produced his first record, 3 Years 2 Late. Since 2005, he has toured France, Russia, Alaska, Germany, Holland and Hawaii.His sixth record,Nothin' But The Best, was nominated for a 2013 Grammy Award.
Direct from the famous Casa de la Trova club in their hometown Santiagode Cuba, the cradle of son and bolero, Septeto Santiaguerois theforemost son music ensemble on the current Cuban scene.Founded in 1995 by tres guitar virtuoso Fernado Dewar, Septeto hastaken its contemporary perspective to the septeto format and hasrecorded eight records in their two decade history. The group’s most recentrelease, Tributu a Los Compadres, is a collaboration with Jose “El Canario”Alberto and earned a 2016 Grammy nomination in the TropicalLatin category and a 2015 Latin Grammy win.
For two decades, the group has toured in Europe and Latin America, performing in Spain,Colombia, Germany, France, Mexico and Brazil. In 2016 Septeto performed for the first time in the United States at New York’s LincolnCenter. The group has a new CD ready for release in 2017 and extensive NorthAmerican touring planned throughout 2017-18.
International music star, humanitarian activist and Grammy nominee Rocky Dawuni straddles the boundaries between Africa, theCaribbean and the US to create an appealing sound that unites generations and cultures. With an easy-going charisma and reputationas a dedicated champion of social causes, Dawuni's infectious grooves and dance-inducing anthems consistently excite fansacross the globe. A galvanizing performer, Dawuni has shared the stage with Stevie Wonder, Peter Gabriel, Bono, Jason Mraz, JanelleMonae and John Legend, among many others. Named one of Africa's Top 10 global stars by CNN, he has showcased his talent atprestigious venues such as The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
About the Community Venture InitiativeHopkins Center for the Arts and Free For All
In 2015, Free For All was developed to support the Hop’s goal of engaging large numbers of community members, particularly those with little or no exposure to Hop programming. The completely free, family-friendly series features three concerts on the Dartmouth Green and two family-friendly films in Spaulding Auditorium and has been wildly successful. In two years, approximately 7,700 community members have participated in concerts, films, dance classes and workshops. It has become a College/community partnership, with Dartmouth’s Office of the Provost sponsoring the first concert each year.
Free For All is lowering real and perceived barriers to participation in the arts, making the Hop more accessible and engaging people new to the Hop. More than 60 percent of series attendees surveyed say they have never—or only occasionally—visited the Hop. Said a concert attendee, it’s “refreshing to have events like this in the area… Doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, [people] just come and be themselves.”
The Hop’s Community Venture Initiative (CVI) aims to increase the Upper Valley community’s engagement and access to Hop programming. CVI builds on the Hop’s commitment, over its 50-year history, to community-oriented programs involving a strong network of local organizational partners, as well as on ideas generated by the Hop’sClass Divide Project, a three-year initiative that examined socio-economic class via the arts.
About the Hopkins Center for the Arts
Founded in 1962, the Hopkins Center for the Arts is a multi-disciplinary academic, visual and performing arts center dedicated to uncovering insights, igniting passions, and nurturing talents to help Dartmouth and the surrounding Upper Valley community engage imaginatively and contribute creatively to our world. Each year the Hop presents more than 300 live events and films by visiting artists as well as Dartmouth students and the Dartmouth community, and reaches more than 22,000 Upper Valley residents and students with outreach and arts education programs. After a celebratory 50th-anniversary season in 2012-13, the Hop enters its second half-century with renewed passion for mentoring young artists, supporting the development of new work, and providing a laboratory for participation and experimentation in the arts.
MORE INFORMATION
Corey Ledet and his Zydeco Band
Septeto Santiaguero
Artist Agency – Freshen Up Parts
Rocky Dawuni
Artist Agency – Freshen Up Parts
CALENDAR LISTINGS:
Corey Ledet & His Zydeco Band
Fresh from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, this Grammy-nominated accordionist’s covers and originals promise a rockin’ zydeco set. From the Texas/Louisiana zydeco heartland, his infusion of Creole roots, pop, funk and jazz makes dancing a must.
Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 5:30 pm
The Dartmouth Green, Hanover NH (rain location: Spaulding Auditorium of the Hopkins Center for the Arts)
Free for all
Information: hop.dartmouth.edu or 603.646.2422
Septeto Santiaguero
Direct from Cuba, Latin Grammy-winning Septeto Santiaguero revives that nation’s lithe, rhapsodic ‘40s and ‘50s dance music. Soaring vocals, a horn line and intoxicating percussion make the band’s son and guarancha music happy, hot and irresistible.
Wednesday, July 26, 2017, 5:30 pm
The Dartmouth Green, Hanover NH (rain location: Spaulding Auditorium of the Hopkins Center for the Arts)
Free for all
Information: hop.dartmouth.edu or 603.646.2422
Rocky Dawuni
Ghana-born musician and activist Dawuni’s upbeat reggae anthems move feet and unite generations and cultures. From the FIFA World Cup to SXSW, his humanitarian advocacy is matched only by his electrifying performances.
Wednesday, August 9, 2017, 5:30 pm
The Dartmouth Green, Hanover NH (rain location: Spaulding Auditorium of the Hopkins Center for the Arts)
Free for all
Information: hop.dartmouth.edu or 603.646.2422
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